Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) for
two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, "Versed".
     "I'm delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even
the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win," said Armantrout.
     "For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention,
suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising."
     Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with
noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master's in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is
a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used
and raises questions to make the reader think.
     In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for "Versed."
     "This book has gotten more attention," Armantrout said, "but I don't feel as if it's better."
     The first half of "Versed" focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war
against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout
was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
     Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. "Rae
Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry," said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
     "Versed", published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier
works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.

1. According to Rae Armantrout, _____.

A. her 10th book is much better
B. her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected
C. the media is surprised at her works
D. she likes being recognized by her readers

2. Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?

A. She published a poetry textbook.
B. She used to teach Denise Levertov.
C. She started a poets' group with others.
D. She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.

3. What can we learn about "Versed"?

A. It consists of three parts.
B. It is mainly about the American army.
C. It is a book published two decades ago.
D. It partly concerns the poet's own life.

4. Rae Armantrout's colleagues think that she _____.

A. should write more
B. has a sweet voice
C. deserves the prize
D. is a strange professor

5. What can we learn from the text?

A. About 2,700 copies of "Versed" will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. "Versed" has been awarded twice.

     When you're lying on the white sands of the Mexican Riviera, the stresses (壓力) of the world seem
a million miles away. Hey, stop! This is no vacation－you have to finish something!
     Here lies the problem for travel writer and food critic (評論家) Edie Jarolim. "I always loved traveling
and always liked to eat, but it never occurred to me that I could make money doing both of these things,"
Jarolim said. Now you can read her travel advice everywhere－in Arts and Antiques, in Brides, or in one
of her three books. The Complete Idiot's Travel Guide to Mexico's Beach Resort.
     Her job in travel writing began some eight years ago. After getting a PhD in English in Canada, she took
a test for Frommer's travel guides, passed it, and got the job. After working at Frommer's, Jarolim worked
for a while at Rough Guides in London, then Fodor's, where she fell so in love with a description of the
Southwest of the U.S. that she moved there.
     Now as a travel writer, she spends one-third of her year on the road. The rest of the time is spent
completing her tasks and writing reviews of restaurants at home in Tucson, Arizona.
     As adventurous as the job sounds, the hard part is fact-checking all the information. Sure, it's great to
write about a tourist attraction, but you'd better get the local (當?shù)氐? museum hours correct or you could
really ruin someone's vacation.

1. Which country does Jarolim live in now?

A. Mexico.
B. The U.S.
C. The U.K.
D. Canada.

2. What is the most difficult for Jarolim?

A. Working in different places to collect information.
B. Checking all the facts to be written in the guides.
C. Finishing her work as soon as possible.
D. Passing a test to write travel guides.

3. What do we know about Jarolim from the text?

A. She is successful in her job.
B. She finds her life full of stresses.
C. She spends half of her time traveling.
D. She is especially interested in museums.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A. Adventures in Travel Writing
B. Working as a Food Critic
C. Travel Guides on the Market
D. Vacationing for a Living

     Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771. At the age of ten he went to work. His employer had a large
Private library, so Owen was able to educate himself. He read a lot in his spare time and at nineteen he was
given the job of superintendent (監(jiān)工) at a Manchester cotton mill. He was so successful there that he
persuaded his employer to buy the New Lanark mill in Scotland.
     When he arrived at New Lanark it was a dirty little town with a population of 2,000 people. Nobody paid
any attention to the workers' houses or their children's education. The conditions in the factories were very
bad. There was a lot of crime and the men spent most of their wages on alcoholic drinks.
     Owen improved the houses. He encouraged people to be clean and save money. He opened a shop and
sold the workers cheap, well-made goods to help them. He limited the sale of alcoholic drinks. Above all, he
fixed his mind on the children's education. In 1816 he opened the first free primary school in Britain.
     People came from all over the country to visit Owen's factory. They saw that the workers were healthier
and more efficient than in other towns. Their children were better fed and better educated. Owen tried the
same experiment in the United States. He bought some land there in 1825, but the community was too far
away. He could not keep it under control and lost most of his money.
     Owen never stopped fighting for his idea. Above all he believed that people are not born good or bad.
     He was a practical man and his ideas were practical. "If you give people good working conditions," he
thought, "they will work well and, the most important thing of all, if you give them the chance to learn, they
will be better people."

1. For Owen, his greatest achievement in New Lanark was _____.

A. improving worker's houses
B. helping people to save money
C. preventing men from getting drunk
D. providing the children with a good education

2. From the passage we may infer that Owen was born _____.

A. into a rich family
B. into a noble family
C. into a poor family
D. into a middle class family

3. Owen's experiment in the United States failed because _____.

A. he lost all his money
B. he did not buy enough land
C. people who visited it were not impressed
D. it was too far away for him to organize it properly

4. We may infer form the passage that no children in Britain could enjoy free education until _____.

A. 1771
B. 1816
C. 1825
D. 1860

     Superman, Spider-Man, Batman and Iron Man....There is no shortage of superheroes. You find them in
comic books, on the TV and the big screen.
     In a survey of fans by the sci-fi (科幻) and fantasy website, SFX.co.uk, Batman, 70 years old this year,
was voted Britain's favorite superhero.
     Unlike many crime-fighting superheroes Batman has no special powers. He can't fly like Superman or
shoot a sticky (粘性的) web like Spider-Man.
     Bruce Wayne is born to a wealthy Gotham City business family. However, when his parents are murdered
his life changes completely.
     Wayne feels anger at their deaths and guilty that he did not prevent them. He travels around the world
learning how to fight. Upon returning to Gotham, he creates a disguise (偽裝) to enable him to fight crime
without being recognized.
     A childhood fear of bats leads him to choose to dress as one. His idea is that through the bat persona (角
色) he can prove to himself that he has overcome his childhood fears.
     Wayne is the CEO of the company he inherits (繼承) from his father. He seems to live the lifestyle of a
millionaire playboy. But this is a ruse (計策). He works hard at the image to allow himself the freedom he needs
to do his work as a crime fighter. "Bruce Wayne, playboy" is the disguise(偽裝); Batman is the real person.
     "Wayne is not a born superhero. Instead, he is a real, complex person," said Dace Golder, editor of the
website. "He is the most realistic of all the superheroes. I am particularly interested in the emotional process
by which a boy becomes a hero. His superhero qualities come from within."

1. What is the article mainly about?

A. How Bruce Wayne develops into a superhero.
B. How to overcome childhood fears.
C. What makes a superhero.
D. Why superheroes enjoy great popularity in Britain.

2. Batman differs from other superheroes in that _____.

A. he was not a born superhero
B. he had an unhappy childhood
C. he doesn't have any special powers
D. he does his best to fight crime

3. Bruce Wayne decides to dress like a bat because of _____.

A. his curiosity about bats
B. his childhood fear of bats
C. his parents' sudden death
D. his unusual travel experiences

4. Why does Wayne live like a playboy?

A. He prefers the lifestyle of a playboy.
B. He doesn't know how to run a company.
C. He loves freedom more than anything else.
D. He needs to disguise his crime fighting activities.

5. Which of the following statements is true about Batman?

A. Batman is a born superhero
B. He has special powers
C. The turning point of his life is due to his parents' sudden death
D. He actually lives the lifestyle of a millionaire playboy

     In the age of reality television, success isn't the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame,
just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong.
     Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music
Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled "The True Idol" on April 6.
     The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version (改寫本)
of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" on the television show "American Idol 3", on January 27. The Fox TV singing
contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that
the judges cut him off in mid-act.
     Hung's response? "I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all." That's good, because any common
person would have found plenty to regret: the off-key singing; the blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled
up too high; the terrible dancing; the hips jerking (搖擺) to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not
even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad. But, it was this very bad act that sold well.
     Marc Juris, president of Fuse, explained it this way:"Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite
song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That's what
William did and immediately won the hearts of America."
     Whatever it is, for the moment it's big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the
past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno music and have made
it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station.
     So, what does Hung think of this?
     "There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I
was great on the show, but some didn't have much respect for me and some were kind of mean."
     Now, he says he's not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour (魅力) or to accept it.
Returning to normal hasn't been easy.

1. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly.
B. Hung's performance attracted the public eye.
C. How an unsuccessful person became famous.
D. Success sometimes does not require hard work.

2. Hung was popular in America for all the following reasons EXCEPT _____.

A. his shirt and pants
B. his off-key singing
C. his hips jerking
D. his excellent version

3. What does the underlined word "it" in paragraph 6 refer to?

A. William Hung.
B. Hung's bad act.
C. Hung's website.
D. The public's opinion.

4. Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened to Hung?
    a. The entertainment firms made an agreement with Hung.
    b. The judges cut Hung off in mid-act in the singing contest.
    c. Hung became popular among Americans.
    d. Hung gave a terrible performance though he tried his best.
    e. Three websites put Hung's funny performance on the Internet.

A. d, b, e, c, a
B. a, c, d, b, e
C. a, d, b, c, e
D. d, b, a, e, c

5. Why was Hung able to win the hearts of America?

A. His success was based on his own hard work.
B. He attracted people's attention in the contest.
C. He was good-looking though he didn't sing well.
D. His character was completely different from other idols.

     Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames (綽號). Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth
looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence (影響) on the
world of music.
     Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the
city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, "Jazz and I grew up together."
     Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短號) at a boy's home.
In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the
steamboats that travelled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music
of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became
respected as their equal.
     In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life,
Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the
American popular song.
     His cornet playing had a deep humanity (仁愛) and warmth that caused many listeners to say, "Listening to
Pops just makes you feel good all over." He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and
most-admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world.

1. Armstrong was called Pops because he _____.

A. looked like a musician
B. was a musician of much influence
C. showed an interest in music
D. travelled to play modern music

2. The third paragraph is developed _____.

A. by space
B. by examples
C. by time
D. by comparison

3. Which statement about Armstrong is true?

A. His tale begins in New Orleans.
B. He was born before jazz was invented.
C. His music was popular with his listeners.
D. He learned popular music at a boy's home.

4. Which would be the best title for the text?

A. The Invention of the Jazz Music.
B. The Father of the Jazz Style.
C. The Making of a Musician.
D. The Spread of Popular Music.

     Jenny Bowen, an American living in Beijing, has been selected as the only American to carry the 2008
Beijing Olympic torch on Chinese soil. She and seven other non-Chinese winners were from a pool of 262
applicants from 47 countries. 
     When Bowen runs with the Olympic torch, she will not only be representing the United States. She will
also be representing thousands of Chinese orphans, ABC news said.
     Bowen, a mother of two adopted (領(lǐng)養(yǎng)的) Chinese daughters, is executive director of Half the Sky
Foundation, an organization which was set up in 1998 and aims to enrich the lives and improve the future
for orphaned children in China.
     Nearly 10 years later, Bowen and Half the Sky Foundation have touched the lives of over 13,000 children.
Half the Sky Foundation is now present in 36 welfare institutions in 28 Chinese cities. About 4,000 children
are active in the program, which provides trained staff, educational tools, medical support and love for
orphans.
     Bowen hopes that running with the Olympic torch will help draw attention to the children in China. She
will be among the 19,400 runners who will carry the flame along an 85,000-mile,130-day route across five
continents. Beijing organizers say it will be the longest torch relay in the Olympic history.
     Like Bowen, the seven other non-Chinese winners, including a German engineer and a Venezuelan
designer, live in China. The other countries represented will be the Philippines, Colombia, India, Japan and
Russia.
     According to Olympic organizers, candidates (候選人) were selected based on their "love of Chinese
culture and history" and devotion to "communicating information about a real China to their native countries."
Each runner will carry the torch for 200 meters on Chinese soil.

1. Jenny Bowen will represent thousands of Chinese orphans mainly because _____.

A. she is an American orphan who lives in China.
B. she likes Chinese orphans very much.
C. she is director of the Half the Sky Foundation.
D. she has done a lot to the welfare of Chinese orphans.

2. Which of the following statements is false about Jenny Bowen?

A. She has been communicating information about the real China to the USA.
B. She is executive director of Half the Sky Foundation.
C. She loves Chinese culture and history very much.
D. She will carry the flame along an 85,000-mile route.

3. How many factors for selecting a candidate are mentioned in the passage?

A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Jenny Bowen, executive director of Half the Sky Foundation.
B. The longest torch relay in the Olympic history.
C. Eight non-Chinese persons to carry the Olympic torch in China.
D. A US woman to carry the Olympic torch in China.

     As the first woman Chancellor (總理) in German's history, Angela Merkel topped Forbes magazine's list
of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" in 2006, 2007, 2008,and 2009. She has even been compared
to Margaret Thatcher and many people called her "Iron Lady".
     Merkel was born in Hamburg, West Germany, on July 17, 1954. Six weeks after she was born, her family
moved to Templin. As a small child, Merkel quickly learned to speak but took longer to walk. "I was a stupid
person when it comes to moving," Merkel said. "A normal person could do something naturally, but I had to
think about it in my mind and practice." As a teenager, she was a top student and graduated from high school
with perfect marks. In 1973, Merkel went to the University of Leipzig, where she studied physics. At 32, she
got her doctor's degree in Physics.
     She stepped into politics in 1989. In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her
scientific background and strong will proved very useful. In 2005, she became Germany's Chancellor. She has
been re-elected to a second term as German Chancellor on September27, 2009.
     Through her political career, Merkel's persistence (堅持) and patience helped her a lot. "She's bright and
open-minded," said Hubert Merkel. "She is the person who wants to know exactly what is going on, and how
never giving up will influence our society and future."

1. As a small child, Merkel was slow in _____.

A. speaking
B. walking
C. learning
D. thinking

2. The underlined phrase in Paragraph3 most probably means "_____".

A. fought the government
B. began her scientific career
C. offered political guidance
D. became a government official

3. We can infer from the passage that Angela Merkel _____.

A. is a powerful woman with a strong will and determination
B. got her doctor's degree in Politics in University of Leipzig
C. has worked as German Chancellor since September27, 2009
D. showed her best talent as Minister for the Environment

4. In the last paragraph, the author mainly wants to express _____.

A. one must be brave in the political career
B. one should be patient when making decisions
C. persistence can help one's dream come true
D. one can have a strong will when other's haven't

5. What's the author's attitude toward Angela Merkel?

A. Admiring (贊美的).
B. Thankful.
C. Pitiful.
D. Dull.

     Kobe Bryant was born with basketball already in his blood. His dad was a former NBA star. When Kobe was
six years old, his dad started playing basketball in Europe, so his family moved to Italy. The family stayed there
for seven years. While living in Italy, Kobe learned to speak fluent Italian and started playing basketball.
     The family moved back to the United States when Kobe was 13 and he started playing high school basketball.
Kobe figured he was already good enough to play in the NBA, so he skipped college and was selected right after
high school by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft. In a trade the Hornets are still
crying about, they sent Kobe to the LA Lakers. Despite not going to college, Kobe was a quick learner on the
courts of the NBA. He played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in 1998 and by 2000, Kobe had
developed into one of basketball's best players. Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal teamed up to lead the LA Lakers to
three straight NBA Championship Titles from 2000 to 2002.
     In 2003, Kobe was caught by the police.
     In 2004, the case against Kobe was dropped, but Kobe still had to live with a damaged reputation. In 2004,
Kobe tried to prove that he could lead the LA Lakers without Shaq. After Kobe told the Lakers he wouldn't be
wearing the purple and gold if Shaq was in the team, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat before the 2004-2005
season. The trade was good news for the Heat, who won the NBA championship with O'Neal. In the next few
years, Kobe grew disappointed as his team repeatedly suffered first round exits. The 2007-2008 season is when
the LA Lakers finally got over the hump. They went on to have the best record of any team.

1. By the first sentence, the author means _____.

A. Kobe's blood was special when he was born
B. all of Kobe's family members are basketball players
C. Kobe liked to play with a basketball as a baby
D. Kobe was born to be a basketball player

2. We can infer (推斷) from the second paragraph that _____.

A. the Charlotte Hornets regretted trading Kobe
B. in 1998, Kobe became one of basketball's best players
C. the LA Lakers have won three NBA Championship Titles till now
D. Kobe was confident about his playing before high school

3. What is the right order of the following events?
    a. Shaq was traded to the Heat.
    b. Kobe was caught by the police.
    c. Kobe's family moved to Italy.
    d. Kobe played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time.

A. cbad
B. cdba
C. cabd
D. dcab

4. The underlined part "got over the hump" means _____.

A. gained the advantage
B. lost the game
C. went through the hard times
D. traded a better player

5. The writer wrote the passage to _____.

A. give us a brief introduction of Kobe
B. tell us how to become a basketball star
C. give us some news about the NBA All-Star Game
D. introduce the LA lakers

     Benjamin Bannered was born a few months before another great American-George Washington. Benjamin
was black, but he was not a slave. He and his mother and his grandmother were free.
     Benjamin's grandmother came from England. In America she got a job and worked for many years to pay
for her boat trip across the ocean. After working many more years, she saved enough money to buy a farm.
Benjamin lived with her for a while. She taught him to read and write and do arithmetic.
     Benjamin's neighbors knew that he was clever. They were not surprised when he built a large wooden
clock. He made each piece after studying a small pocket watch. The clock made him famous, for it was one
of the first clocks built in America. People from other places began to send hard problems of all kinds to
Benjamin to settle.
     Thomas Jefferson learned of Benjamin Bannered's ability to settle hard problems. He asked Bannered to help
build the city that was to be the capital of the United States-Washington, D. C.
     Bannered worked hard on the plans for the city. He marked where the streets and buildings-the Capital ( 國
會大廈 ), the White House, and many others-should be built.
     Later, L' Enfant, the Frenchman who designed the new city, had a quarrel, and went back to France in
anger. He took all of the plans with him. The workmen couldn't build without any plans to follow.
     For a while it seemed that the plans for the capital might have to be changed. But Benjamin Bannered
remembered the plans he had helped draw. He drew each again just as he once had built each piece of his
clock.
     If it weren't for Benjamin Bannered, Washington, D. C. might look very different from the way it does
today.

1. Benjamin Bannered is remembered today mainly because _____.

A. he made the first clock in America
B. he used to be an assistant to L' Enfant, who had designed the city Washington
C. he designed the city Washington when L' Enfant left
D. he was able to build the city Washington as L' Enfant left with his plans

2. When Bannered built a large wooden clock, _____.

A. people in America showed no surprise
B. his name spread all over America
C. he became the first man in America to build a clock
D. people came from other places to congratulate him

3. Why did Thomas Jefferson ask Bannered to help build the City Washington?

A. Bannered was famous for building.
B. He was told Bannered was clever.
C. Bannered was hard-working.
D. He believed in Bannered.

4. In building the city Washington, Bannered showed _____.

A. he had a good memory
B. he was never tired of working
C. he feared no difficulties
D. he was good at drawing

5. What can we know from the passage?

A. Benjamin Bannered was born on a farm.
B. Benjamin Bannered's mother taught him to write and read.
C. L' Enfant designed and built the City Washington, D. C.
D. Washington, D. C. is exactly the same as it was planned.